Foz Do Iguaçu Launches Halal Tourism Guide

(MENAFN- Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA)) São Paulo – In an effort to establish itself as a tourist destination for Muslim visitors, the city of Foz do Iguaçu, in Paraná, launched a halal tourism guide last Friday (20). It is an e-book with information on halal food offerings and hotels prepared to host Muslim guests in the city. Foz do Iguaçu is located on the border of Brazil with Argentina and Paraguay, in the so-called triple border region, and is home to one of the seven wonders of the world, the Iguazu Falls.

In addition to recommending spots, the“Muslim-Friendly Foz do Iguaçu – Halal Tourism Guide” also includes other services such as explanations of the halal and Muslim-friendly concepts, the main tourist attractions of Foz do Iguaçu-such as the falls, the bird park, and the mosque-prayer times for Muslims, and contact information for embassies of countries with established Islamic populations in Brazil.

Halal means that a product or service is fit for Muslims, meaning it has been produced in accordance with the principles of Islam, such as the absence of pork and alcohol. The Foz guide indicates restaurants that serve halal food. The term Muslim-friendly in tourism refers to environments that are adapted to meet the needs of Muslims, such as the hotels listed in the e-book.

The launch of the guide by the Municipal Government of Foz do Iguaçu results from a partnership between the local government, the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), certifier CDIAL Halal, the Islamic Charitable Cultural Center of Foz do Iguaçu, and the city's Omar Ibn Al-Katthab Mosque. The launch took place at the Islamic Charitable Cultural Center, with the presence of the involved entities.

Foz do Iguaçu's effort towards halal tourism began in 2021, with the city's participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, the World Expo held in 2021 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. During the event, the local government recognized the city's potential for halal tourism and started its partnership with the ABCC and CDIAL Halal, according to Leandro Vandré Heineck, technical advisor to the Office of the Municipal Secretary of Tourism and Strategic Projects of Foz do Iguaçu.

“This work that began in 2021 is now reaping its rewards,” said the president of CDIAL Halal, Ali Saifi, recalling that the initiative is in line with a global movement of providing apps that indicate places, such as restaurants, suitable for Muslims.“It's a way of clearly showing the visitor where they can eat, where they can visit,” he said about the e-book, highlighting the benefits of the strategy.

ABCC Secretary-General and International Relations Vice-President Mohamad Orra Mourad believes that Foz do Iguaçu will attract Muslim visitors from various countries and position itself as one of the global tourism options for this audience.“They will see Foz do Iguaçu as a place where they can come with peace of mind, where they will be well-received, with hotels prepared to meet their expectations of a halal city, a city that provides the conditions for them to maintain the rites and traditions they follow,” said Mourad.

There is much enthusiasm at the city hall for the new journey ahead.“The halal tourism guide is precisely a tool to help us receive all people of Arab descent here in Foz do Iguaçu, so they can feel welcomed, well-received, in a safe environment, an environment where they truly feel that their entire history is being respected. Foz do Iguaçu has a strong commitment to respecting the history of each religion, of each country,” says Mayor Chico Brasileiro, pointing out the city already has a large Arab community among its residents.

The city's secretary of tourism and strategic projects, André Roberto Alliana, explains that the Tourism Department, especially the Directorate of Strategic Projects and Investor Attraction, with support from the Directorate of International Relations, conducted a survey of all the companies operating in the municipality of Foz do Iguaçu that are capable of welcoming the Muslim public. This information was then validated with local stakeholders, particularly the mosque and the Islamic community, according to him.

“It was a very well-developed technical work precisely because people have to come and be assured that they're going to a place where they can truly be, where their religion is respected, and where they will be very well received and leave with a positive impact from the city,” he says. Alliana believes that an excellent job was done from the technical perspective, which resulted in the first edition of the guide, and that it will continue and be improved.

The city's director of international affairs, Jihad Abu Ali, highlights the partnership with CDIAL Halal and the ABCC and says guide is the first step that Foz do Iguaçu is taking to cement itself as a Muslim-friendly tourist destination.“We believe a lot in the potential of the Arab world and the Muslim world to come visit our city and invest in Foz do Iguaçu,” said the director. Mourad, from the ABCC, as well as Saifi, from CDIAL Halal, participated in the launch in the Paraná state's city.

The e-book about Muslim-friendly and halal tourism is available online in Portuguese. By February next year, the material will also be available in Arabic, English, and Spanish, according to Heineck. He added that the content of the guide is supposed to continue being improved and updated, and eventually, it will be printed for distribution.

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Translated by Guilherme Miranda

The post Foz do Iguaçu launches halal tourism guide appeared first on ANBA News Agency .

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